October Book Reviews

Look no further for cooking inspiration. Maria Hoyle samples the latest must-reads for the savvy cook.

Meat & Three
Kathy Paterson, $49.99
Cook and food writer Kathy Paterson grew up on a Wairarapa beef and sheep farm, and has huge respect for those who go out at all hours and in all weathers to provide us with our mealtime staples. Now, in association with Beef and Lamb New Zealand Inc, she brings us Meat & Three, a collection of meat dishes and accompaniments, tips on selecting the best cuts for any given dish, how to cook meat to perfection, and making the best gravy. There are also profiles of our most iconic farms, and the people who run them. Yes, it’s an ode to food of the four-legged variety, but veges feature prominently too, with Paterson urging us to use them ‘at their peak of ripeness’

Kiwi Baker At Home
Dean Brettschneider
Potton & Burton, $49.99
Want to up your baking game? Then why not learn from the best? Christchurch-born and trained Dean Brettschneider is an award-winning author of 13  cookbooks and soon-to-be judge on TV2’s The Great Kiwi Bake-Off. In Kiwi Baker at Home, the internationally acclaimed baker and patissier brings it right back to basics, with expert step-by-step advice on bread and pastry-making techniques. His many years of experience and dedication are lovingly kneaded into these recipes, so that keen home bakers everywhere can turn out sourdough like a pro, and bring true flair to everyday favourites. Here you’ll find breads, pizzas, morning teas, lunchbox treats, biscuits, slices, desserts and much more. This is good old-fashioned baking like your mum used to make, but with the Brettschneider stamp of excellence.  

The Supper Club Recipe Book
Printed through Asian Pacific Offset. 
$45 (plus $4.99 shipping)
This recipe collection opens with the question “What does a meal mean to you?”. It’s a question with special significance for a book that is donating all proceeds to RMHC New Zealand, the charity that accommodates families while their children are in hospital. For them, a meal in a Ronald McDonald house can be the ‘the glue’ that holds them together at a stressful time. In this book, you’ll find deliciousness from more than 50 top restaurants nationwide that support RMHC’s Supper Club fundraising events. But ordinary Kiwis have come to the table too. So alongside the likes of The Culpeper (Buttermilk Crispy Fried Duck), Baretta (Prosciutto-Wrapped White Fish), Madam Woo (Madam’s Fish Curry), Boulcott Street Bistro (Dark Chocolate Pots), and Victoria Street Bistro (Tres Leches Cake with Rhubarb) you’ll find family favourites from those who’ve stayed at the House. There are wine matches with each recipe, too. Nothing leaves a better taste than a collection of lip-smacking food for a fantastic cause. Available online at rmhc.org.nz/products

The Cuba Street Project
Random House, $55
If there is a street in New Zealand synonymous with good food, Cuba Street definitely fits the bill. This Wellington strip is renowned for its iconic eateries and for endlessly popping up with new and exciting options. The culture of this famed road has now been captured in The Cuba Street Project, written by Wellington-based food and blogger, Beth Brash. From an exploration of the now defunct Matterhorn, as famous for its visitors as for its food (Louis Armstrong, Elijah Wood, Fat Freddy’s Drop) to Logan Brown, a fine-dining stalwart that’s been on the scene for more than two decades, the book covers the essence of the street and its incumbents with stories, recipes and evocative pictures. It’s a love letter to a slice of New Zealand food history, a tempting cookbook and an advertisement for Wellington as destination all rolled into one.